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October 1, 2006

Mark 9:38-50

"Stumbling Blocks"

It all starts on the playground: Our life-long journey with labels. Our understanding of exclusive groups. Our understanding of who is in and who is not. It happens when teams are picked for sports. It happens when children play on the equipment of the playground. We label each other in different groups. We label who is cool. We label who are the nerds. We label who is “in” and who is “out.” We start clubs that separate, clubs that exclude, clubs where we set the rule.
We learn that there is security in the labels that we give to people. There is order. Everyone knows his or her place. We begin to understand how the world works. Some people are in and some people are out. That is just the way it is. Some people are cool and some people are nerds.

Growing up, my dad built us a tree house in our backyard. My sister and I turned it into a secret club that had a secret password and a special knock. Of course, boys were not allowed! You could only be a part of this club through special invitation. It was a great club! We played games, had sleepovers, and had some many great adventures. Until one day, a new kid moved in on the block and had the audacity to ask if she could join our club. We were shocked. We didn’t know this girl! How did we know if she would fit in? How did we know if she was cool or not? Who did she think she was?

Needless to say, we had to put it to a vote on whether to let this girl into the club or not. We took the chance, let the girl join the club and the fun continued. But there was a moment that our world was shaken, when our foundations that we had built through labels were rocked.

Early on as children we acquire the system of labeling people. We are taught the order of the world. We start separating people into groups. We learn early on that we need the security of labels. Labels provide our world with order. Everyone knows his or her place. Some people are in and some people are out. That is just the way it is.

There is an order to our world. People are “in” or they are “out.” I am sure John was thinking this when he approached Jesus. “Jesus, I just thought I let you know this guy down on the corner was casting out demons in your name, so we put a stop to him. He is not one of us. What was that guy thinking? He is not part of this band of travelers.”
You can just imagine that John is standing there, feeling confident in his actions, maybe a nudge to the person standing beside, knowing that he did the right thing. He took care of the problem.

Then bam! Jesus makes a statement that comes out of nowhere and not what John expected! “You did what! Look, the guy was casting out demons. That’s okay. It’s in my name. That’s okay. John, he is still doing God’s work. Things are still getting done that are considered the work of the kingdom. They don’t have to be part of this group to do God’s work.”

I imagine John and the other disciples standing there, mouths wide open and gaping. “Where did this come from?” Someone needs to explain the rules to Jesus. Doesn’t he know that he only called us to be his disciples? Doesn’t he know that he only gave us the special invitation to be a part of this secret club? We have to know who is “in” and who is “out.”

The look of confusion is still on the disciples’ faces as Jesus continues to explain the way of a disciple. “Guys, we are doing God’s work. But guess what God calls lots of people to do God’s work. And some people are newer to the faith than others and need guidance. That’s where we come in. We must provide the example. This is what it is really about. It is not about status. It is not about rank. It is about living a life that is an example of faith to the fullest and helping to mentor to those who are new to this whole “journey of faith”.

I am asking you as my disciples to set yourselves apart, not in the exclusive “I am better than you” kind of way but to set yourselves apart as distinctive examples of faith. Show people what it means to truly be a person of God. Let them hear you speak out against the injustices in our community. Point out when you see people not living up to their full potential as a child of God. Welcome people in my name. Show them the true hospitality of the Good news.”

One of the commentators says [that at this point in the Scripture] “Jesus is a “ ‘dead man walking’ ”. [Jesus has warned the disciples about his pending execution in Jerusalem but they don’t understand.] [Their] foundation[s] [are] sifting. “The disciples expected prominence would follow when the Messiah restored the fortunes of Israel. Now Jesus is changing the rules. Deliberately confronting death, renouncing statues, becoming a suffering servant—these strike at the heart of their motivation. When threatened with loss, when feeling insecure, we circle the wagons. Gathering the clan and resisting the outsiders is a popular reaction against insecurity and fear…Therefore, we should not be surprised by John’s statement…John’s words remind us of reports of denomination quarrels or local church controversies. Current religious conversation often focuses on who is “in” and who is “out”. Our labeling discounts persons and their ideas. “Liberal,” “conservative,” “evangelical”, “social activist-these have become weapons of religious warfare. When we use these terms, we not only describe emphases; we also prescribe rejection.”

Jesus is reminding his disciples that they still have a long way to go before they truly understand the kingdom of God. Jesus wants them to see that God is doing amazing things through all people, not just them. Jesus wants them to understand that although he extended the call to them to be his disciples, they do not have exclusive rights to the kingdom of God.

As I was thinking about this sermon, I started thinking about all the “outsiders” that God worked through to do amazing things. People who didn’t fit the mold of a righteous person. People who were not considered to be “in”. People who were not allowed to join the secret club.

I think of Rahab. A woman living in Jericho, said to be a prostitute, who takes two Israelites spies into her safe-keeping because she knows that God had given the land of Jericho to the Israelites. She is upheld as a model of faith in the Jewish tradition and is even a part of the lineage of Jesus.
I think of Moses. A young man who committed murder, fled Egypt, who says that he is not a great speaker, lead the Israelites to the promise land.
I think of Jacob. A young man who tricks his father and his brother out of the rightful order of blessing, and becomes the father to the twelve tribes of Israel.

I think of Mary Magdalene. Sources vary on her background but she becomes a follower of Jesus after being pushed aside because she didn’t fit “in”. Mary who went to the tomb on Easter morning and first experienced the good news of the resurrection.
Outsiders, all of them. They were labeled as misfits or crooks. But look what God did through each and every one of them.

“A journalist once asked Carl Sandburg, “What is the ugliest word in the English language?” After a few minutes, Sandburg replied “exclusive.”

We are reminded today as God’s church that is around the world that although we have accepted the call to faith that does not mean that we have exclusive rights to the Gospel. We are reminded that we are called to be distinctive models of faith, not in an I am better than you are way, but in a way that shows the true love and grace of God. We are called to be examples of faith. We are called to mentor to those who are new to the faith whether they are young or just beginning their journeys. We cannot exclude them or treat them as outsiders. There are no secret hand-shakes to join. There are no secret passwords that will get you into the building. There is only the extension of the true hospitality of the Good news.

Today we celebrate World Communion Sunday. A time we lift up our unity as Christians. And we do that by coming to the table. A place where we are invited to be guests. A place where all are welcome. A place where there no exclusions, just the bread and the cup given to all.

May we always live a life of Christian faith that is distinctive and not exclusive. Amen.

Rev. Heather McColl
Midway Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

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